“A visual, spiritual and dramatic journey into the sacred rituals of Bali through a spectacular gallery of masks and the fascinating, multi-layered stories of Balinese performances and traditions.”

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 132 pages
Illustrated

An authentic presentation of the Papyrus of A-7i, the best surviving example of the texts that have come to be known as the Book of the Dead. It’s a collection of spells, charms, hymns, prayers and invocations, designed to guide the deceased’s journey in the afterlife. Provides rich insight into ancient Egyptian philosophical, spiritual and religious thought. Text is matched to the actual hieroglyphs on papyrus, which are reproduced in color. GR

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 176 pages
Illustrated

“Reveals the legendary allure, intoxication and inspiration of the famous liquor, from its first use as a medicine in ancient Greece to its prohibition before World War I, from wild stories about its celebrated users to compelling insights into its influence on art.”

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 159 pages
Illustrated

Dorothy Parker: “Razors pain you/Rivers are damp/Acids stain you/And drugs cause cramp/Guns aren’t lawful/Nooses give/Gas smells awful/You might as well live.” Also William Shakespeare, Graham Green, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Plato, Tolstoy, Langston Hughes, Camus and Jorge Luis Borges. “A taboo subject, a courageous act, a crime, a compulsion, a choice… “ To be or not to be? GR

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 271 pages

Roll over, J. Edgar Hoover! “Introduction to drag, drag history, drag culture, drag interviews, drag personalities, drag reading list, drag filmography, drag annual calendar, drag shopping guide.” The glamorous, trashy truth about gender bending, from the she-males who do it best: RuPaul, Holly Woodlawn, Lypsinka, Lady Bunny, etc. “You’re born naked and everything you put on after that is drag.” Sure, they look like dames, but watch out—inside they feel like Sherman tanks! GR

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 128 pages
Illustrated

The first of two stunningly designed volumes offering an extensive overview of the publishing phenomenon known as “pulps”—the thousands of paperback serials, novels and anthologies which became a mainstay of the book trade from the turn of the century up to the late 1950s. The American public’s fascination with murder, mayhem, vice, twisted sex, adventure, fantasy and science fiction made best-sellers out of authors such as James M. Cain, Jim Thompson, Charles Willeford, Dashiell Hammett, Sax Rohmer and scores of lesser-known but equally compelling writers [including some now-famous ones, such as William Burroughs, who wrote under assumed names), whose works became the prime inspiration for the film noirs and B pictures made in both the United States and Europe. Also documented are the astonishing cover illustrations of the period, most of which were eye-poppingly gorgeous and chock-full of lurid detail, despite the fact that pulps were meant to be read once and then thrown into the dumpster [hence the term “pulps”]. The author profiles the cover artists, mostly unheralded until now, and accords them a respect that is long overdue. MG

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 108 pages

The second of two stunningly designed volumes offering an extensive overview of the publishing phenomenon known as “pulps”—the thousands of paperback serials, novels and anthologies which became a mainstay of the book trade from the turn of the century up to the late 1950s. The American public’s fascination with murder, mayhem, vice, twisted sex, adventure, fantasy and science fiction made best-sellers out of authors such as James M. Cain, Jim Thompson, Charles Willeford, Dashiell Hammett, Sax Rohmer and scores of lesser-known but equally compelling writers [including some now-famous ones, such as William Burroughs, who wrote under assumed names), whose works became the prime inspiration for the film noirs and B pictures made in both the United States and Europe. Also documented are the astonishing cover illustrations of the period, most of which were eye-poppingly gorgeous and chock-full of lurid detail, despite the fact that pulps were meant to be read once and then thrown into the dumpster [hence the term “pulps”]. The author profiles the cover artists, mostly unheralded until now, and accords them a respect that is long overdue. MG

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 108 pages

Examines a little-charted period in Dutch design during the ‘20s and ‘30s. Getting a late start on Streamline, Dutch artists were nonetheless able to synthesize it with Cubist, Egyptian and Mayan forms. Creamy oranges, reds, yellows and earthy browns predominate the vibrant ads and posters; blues and greens are used as startling accents. Subjects range from industrial to glamorous to everyday, each image angled and thrust to portray maximum artistic impact. GR

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 132 pages
Illustrated

Talk! Sing! Play! Reduce! Roar! Have Fun! Send Away Today! See sensational offers that leaped off the pages of comic books from the ‘40s and ‘50s, sandwiched between the adventures of Blue Bolt, Mighty Mouse and Nellie the Nurse. See! The Ant Farm, Nutty Putty, 50 Combat Action Toys for $1, and the Satellite Flashlight. See! The Original Kentucky Tavern Barbecue Ash Tray, Xmas Tree Lampshades, a Jaunty Jumper, a “Moon Glo in Silk” Jersey, and the Glow-in-the-Dark Necktie. A colorful glimpse into the lost, innocent world of lowbrow hucksterism. GR

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 96 pages
Illustrated

Unlike Adolf Hitler, who tossed Modernism out of Germany, Benito Mussolini embraced the style, seeing its vigorous streamlining as an ideal propaganda vehicle for Fascism. “In 1921, 30 percent of all Italians were illiterate, and graphic images were the best way of addressing them. Mussolini saw Italians as ‘political consumers,’ and as Fascism’s ‘creative director’ he controlled their behavior through slogans and symbols.” When not working for the state, graphic artists were busy making up for lost time, since 19th-century romantic illustration held on in Italy to the bitter end. The Modern style they developed was poetic and allegorical—one didn’t sell a car, but the concept of speed. The results were lively and full of celebration, rendered dramatically in soft-shaded posters and advertisements. And, oh, mechanical rows of soldiers and flocking warplanes for Il Duce. GR

Publisher: Chronicle
Paperback: 132 pages
Illustrated